If you're a Heuer collector, chances are that one of your first stops on the internet after your daily coffee is OnTheDash.com. This week, we feature its founder and owner, Jeff Stein. An attorney by trade, Jeff discovered his love for Heuers in the late 1990's with a late-night purchase on eBay. Since then, his collection has expanded as has his expertise on the subject. In the years since then, OnTheDash has become a compendium of information on all things Heuer, and Jeff has since written on the subject for many publications including Hodinkee, iW, and Christie's Watch Blog. We're happy to have him with us this week as he shares some of his thoughts primarily on Heuer, but a little about Rolex too.

What was your first watch?

My watch collecting hobby began in 1998, with an eBay purchase of a Heuer Super Autavia dashboard timer from a seller in Argentina. It cost around $600 and, when it arrived, it was not resetting properly. I sent it back to Argentina, and wondered whether this watch collecting hobby was going to more pain than pleasure. The seller fixed the Super Autavia, returned it to me quickly, and it’s still a part of my “permanent” collection.

What was the last watch you bought?

My last purchase was a Heuer Autavia GMT chronograph. It’s the second execution Reference 1163 GMT, with the red needles on the chronograph. The Reference 1163 Autavias use a thinner case than the later Autavias, which got a little top-heavy. This one has great colors and I like the GMT function.

Do you prefer vintage or modern?

My collection is 95% vintage and 5% modern. My sweet spot is chronographs from the 1950s and 60s, into the early 1970s.

Can you remember your last great meal? Where was it and what did you eat?

My last great meal was today’s lunch – yogurt, some trail mix, three miniature Hershey bars and a diet Coke. I enjoyed this meal at my desk, which is where I eat 90 percent of my lunches. I guess that I’m just not a foodie, in the traditional sense, but if it’s quick and keeps me going until my next so-called meal, then I’m good with it.

Do you remember what watch you were wearing?

It’s the one that’s on my wrist today, an Abercrombie & Fitch Seafarer, which has a special dial to show the high and low tides. This is a very early model, powered by a modified Valjoux 71 movement, in a large Reference 346 case. The later Seafarers were based on the smaller Valjuox 72 movement, but I really like this way these earlier ones were built. About this time every year, people start liking the Seafarers.

What do you love about vintage Rolex?

You know that I’m more of a Heuer guy than a Rolex guy, but I do admire the Rolexes and own a couple of them – a 6610 Explorer and a somewhat non-descript bubble-back. The next Rolex on my list will be a 5513 Submariner, but I haven’t been active in looking for this one.

Strap or bracelet?

I go with a leather strap on most of my watches. The original bracelets for the vintage Heuers are difficult to find and some of them seem too thin for the watches. Additionally, the straps provide for some great complementary or contrasting colors.

GMT/EXPLORER/SUB/DAYTONA or........?

I love my Explorer, but feel that I need to own a Submariner, just to see what all the fuss is about. My search for the perfect Submariner has been slowed by my concerns about finding an original one that is “correct”.

What do you want to see come out from TAG Heuer at the next Basel Fair?

That’s easy – TAG Heuer should introduce a re-issue of the Autavia. Since 1996, TAG Heuer has offered numerous re-issues of the Carrera and Monaco. They tried an Autavia re-issue in 2003, but there were only two models and they got mixed reviews. A re-issue inspired by the very first Autava chronographs (from the mid-1960s) would be a fantastic watch. At least five other brands are offering great looking chronographs that could almost say “Autavia” on the dial; we need TAG Heuer to offer one.

What's on your wrist today?

It’s the Abercrombie & Fitch Seafarer, described above.

What parallels and differences do you see in the Heuer and Rolex worlds? In terms of either design or from the perspective of collectors?

I believe that there are strong parallels in the heritages of the two brands. Both Heuer and Rolex made rugged tool watches, used by people who actually used their watches and chronographs to time things – races, dives, climbs, etc. Durability and legibility were critical. The most significant difference may be in the basics of supply and demand. It blows me away to see how many vintage Rolex watches are on the market, any given day (or night), compared with the number of Heuers. A really smart collector once told me that there are ten times as many Rolexes as Heuers. But then he told me that there are 100 times as many collectors chasing the Rolexes. Some Heuer enthusiasts will be pissed off when they see this posting. We don’t want the 100 wealthy Rolex guys chasing the 10 old Heuers!!